the audience applauded

Don't Believe the Hype

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Superior Audie Murphy oater, although it incorporates one of the most widely used plots in westerns, in that a grasping cattle baron is trying to grab the last significant competing ranch in his area, by foul means. Additionally, two young women are featured. Susan Cabot, as Rita, is the daughter of ranch owner Dan Saxon(Paul Kelly). She is the girlfriend of ranch foreman Curly(Jack Kelly), until Audie shows up. Although her initial reaction to him is chilly, she eventually warms up. Mary Castle, as Cora, is a saloon entertainer, who sings a song every now and then, along with being the owner's moll. Her ex-boyfriend, Johnny Lake(Charles Drake), shows up eventually, and by the end of the film will repeat as her current boyfriend. Mary has quite a dynamic personality, and was often compared to Rita Hayworth in looks....Filming mostly took place in Big Bear Valley, CA.I'd like to summarize several key relationships: Reb(Audie) and Dan Saxon:Dan owns the biggest spread in the region, after Telford's. Reb originally came to this area at the invitation of Telford, to act as his gunslinger, especially in regard to Dan. However, Telford refused to pay Reb's initial price. Meanwhile, Dan was playing cards downstairs in the saloon. He offered Reb a gamble, high card winning. If Reb won, Dan would sign his ranch over to him. If Reb lost, he would work for Dan for an undetermined time period. Dan, a card sharp, fixes things so that Reb won. Why did he do this? He wanted to make sure that Telford and Reb wouldn't agree to a deal to spearhead an effort to delay getting Dan's cattle to market, so that he wouldn't meet the deadline for repaying a loan from Telford. Also, Dan had the impression that his daughter might eventually become Reb's wife. To show his gratitude, Reb hired Dan and daughter Rita.Reb and Johnny Lake: The film begins with Reb and Johnny hiding behind some bushes from a cavalry patrol. Seems they last were hired guns in the Johnson County WY cattle war. Now, they part ways. But they will meet again when cattle baron Telford wants a gunslinger comparable to Reb, who had rejected his offer. After rancher Dan signs over the deed to his ranch to Reb, Johnny takes the main responsibility in seeing that his cattle don't get to market in time to pay off the loan from Telford. First, he leads a nocturnal stampede of Reb's cattle. This sets Reb back a few days, but is insufficient by itself. Next, Johnny sets fire to the grass in a valley Reb's cattle have to go through. Turns out this is insufficient also, as Reb decides to try herding the cattle over a mountain. With great difficulty, he makes it. Johnny tried to stop him, but Reb came up with a plan to ambush Telford's men, and most were shot dead. They finally meet in Telford's saloon, where Johnny challenges Reb to a gun duel, which Reb rejects. However, Johnny shoots Telford when he tries to shoot Reb in the back. Johnny explains that Telford was trying to cheat him out of $2500. for killing Reb. After that, they are friends, again.

Gunsmoke is directed by Nathan Juran and adapted to screenplay by D.D. Beauchamp from the novel Roughshod written by Norman A. Fox. It stars Audie Murphy, Susan Cabot and Paul Kelly. Music is supervised by Joseph Gershenson and cinematography by Charles P. Boyle.A safe recommendation to Western fans who just want to be entertained by an Audie Murphy picture of no pretensions. Nicely filmed out of Big Bear Valley, San Bernardino National Forest, it's an unassuming film that follows familiar B Western plotting. Bad guy has reform in him and finds it when he ends up fighting for the underdog and falling in love with the daughter of said underdog. Characters are well defined, pace is brisk and the action is well constructed by Juran (latterly 7th Voyage of Sinbad/Jack the Giant Killer). Enjoy the shoot-outs, the cattle drive, the wagon down the hill sequence (those stunt workers rock!), and get on board with the devilishly handsome Murphy and the heart achingly sexy Cabot (check out how she carries off a red number during one scene as she gets the boys all hot and bothered).It's not original and it doesn't bring any psychological smarts to the narrative, but it plays the clichés well and all involved deliver a professional and good looking picture. 6.5/10

Audie's lines are tough and fearless. But I look into his eyes, and wonder where he left his teddy bear, just as I suppose we all do.I have never seen an Audie movie with such a huge disconnect between how tough his lines are, and how sweet his face is. If everyone weren't so deadly serious, it would be satirical.I sit there, and I just can't believe it. That's no way to watch a movie.It's interesting to imagine the lines being delivered by a real tough, like Morgan Woodward or Clint Eastwood. Then the movie would start to make sense.I understand Audie is a courageous war hero, and that Americans owe him as much as any veteran. Based on his baby-face, I have always found that paradoxical. My conclusion has always been that such a decent kid shouldn't have had to go into battle. Yes, it's a lesson.Instead, my problem is with the casting director. Although Audie never lets any doubt leak through to his delivery, there is just no hiding how decent he is. It was a mistake to give him a role that's so darned tough. It just doesn't work.

Good shoot-em-up with Murphy as Reb Kittredge, a gunhand in between jobs. He is offered a job to run a cattleman out of the country so the evil Matt Telford can control the entire valley. In an odd turn of events Kittredge comes into ownership of the disputed acreage and begins a hazardous journey to get the bovine to market before the mortgage to Telford comes due. Of course, Telford does everything in his power to ensure the drive is unsuccessful. A side plot along the way involves Kittredge as one corner of a love triangle, pitting him against a hot headed, back shooting polecat for the love of a beautiful woman: gotta have that thrown in, eh? Pretty standard stuff, but I enjoyed the production.